I am a big fan of MB&F’s crazy Horological Machines and think that they make world of watchmaking much, much richer. Despite that, I have had a hard time imagining one on my own average-sized, conservative wrist. Whereas previous Horological Machines have been high-tech, miniaturized machines, the curved case and eye-like domes make HM6 feel organic and corporeal. . . a nice, friendly and (despite the titanium case) soft animal begging to be touched.
Now we get to the real nitty-gritty at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.: the Aiguille d’Or. There are no ifs, and or buts any more, just a decision on which of the 72 pre-selected watches is the best overall timepiece of the year. It is the most prestigious of the awards given.
Which could be our panel’s favorite to win? The Margot by Christophe Claret? Urwerk EMC? Perhaps the De Bethune DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon? Or will it be something else entirely?
While this category in the 2014 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève is called “Mechanical Exception,” it could well be titled “exceptionally difficult to pick a winner.” And that’s because of the incredible selection of exceptional watches to choose from: Urwerk EMC, Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater, TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Tourbillon, MB&F Legacy Machine No. 2, Hublot, MP-05 LaFerrari, and Andreas Strehler Sauterelle à Lune Perpétuelle.
Starfleet Machine by MB&F is a very functional piece of fantasy for your desk.
Your desk? Well, yes, silly. You see, following Musicmachine, this is the second non-watch machine for MB&F, though this one actually does tell you the time.
Beside being a fantasy machine, it is also a table clock built with the wonderful skills of historic Swiss clockmaker, L’Epée 1839.
With Starfleet Machine MB&F shows us yet again why the brand is inspired by science fiction and the race to the stars, because it is simply fantastible!
The shape of the Starfleet Machine alone is enough to inspire wonder in those who view it, but when you peer into the depths of the exposed works and start to notice the details; a whole new appreciation begins to form. So let’s take a look at it.
Legacy Machine 101. Just when we might next expect to see LM3 featuring some new and unusual take on another traditional complication, this being MB&F, we get the complete opposite: a pared-down version of Legacy Machine No.1 called LM101 with a 40 mm case and a completely new in-house movement.
When MB&F launched its Legacy Machine collection in 2011 with LM1, it was with no small amount of trepidation. The young brand had quickly developed an excellent reputation and passionate following by creating avant-garde Horological Machines, and it certainly wasn’t a given that round watches featuring a reinterpretation of traditional complications would be as well accepted.